6 reasons why you need to explore the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories are sprawling and daunting and just really, really far away for those of us who live in the southern part of the country. Plus, with the cost of domestic travel, it’s hard to justify a family trip to Yellowknife. You could book a seven-day vacation to the Caribbean and drink unlimited pina coladas on the beach for the same cost of a return flight to the northern territory.

Still, there comes a point when we Canadians need to put our hard-earned cash back into exploring our own great nation. The Northwest Territories is full of incredible beauty and history, and is waiting to be explored. With ridiculously long summer days, like in June when parts of the province get nearly 20 hours of daylight, these upcoming months are some of the best time to travel there.

Here are six reasons why you should consider visiting the Northwest Territories.

Explore the Northwest Territories: Nahanni National Park

Sitting 500 kilometres west of Yellowknife is Nahanni National Park Reserve. It’s some 30,000 square kilometers and has earned a designation by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Inside the park there’s everything from hiking to camping, fishing and rafting, all depending on the season you visit, of course.

Explore the Northwest Territories: Alexandra Falls

Unsurprisingly, the Northwest Territories has a lot of waterfalls. Alexandra Falls is 33 metres tall, making it the third highest in the province. They’re beautiful to look at, but imagine kayaking over them? In 2003, American whitewater rafter Alec Voorhees, who was 21 at the time, went over the falls in his rig for fun… and lived to tell the story.

Explore the Northwest Territories: Scott Lake

Scott Lake is a must-visit for any fly fishing enthusiasts. The Scott Lake Lodge, which, as you probably guessed is on the lake, is home to the largest fishing territory in the entire country with half a million acres of productive water. Scott Lake is on the border of the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan and the Scott Lake Lodge is a slice of cozy comfort literally in the middle of nowhere (the closest paved road is over 560 kilometres away).

Explore the Northwest Territories: Cirque of the Unclimbables

It’s hard to capture the just how majestic Cirque of the Unclimbables is in a single photo, but this one does a pretty good job. The granite peaks here in the Mackenzie Mountains natural region are a favourite among veteran climbers, and only professional mountaineers should consider making a climb. Still, you could visit this area just to gawk at the mountains and not actually ascent them.

Explore the Northwest Territories: Northern Lights

The Northwest Territories have been dubbed the “Aurora Capital of the World,” so it’s no surprise that folks flock from all over the world to experience the Northern Lights here. Yellowknife is situated right below the Aurora Oval and the lack of light pollution from any major roadways or cities makes the sky especially dark during the long winter nights, so viewing the natural light show here is like nowhere else.

Explore the Northwest Territories: Naats’ihch’oh National Park

The Nats’ihch’oh National Park is near the border where the Yukon meets the Northwest Territories. The park is home to all sorts of wildlife, including grizzly bear, sheep, mountain goats and caribou. One of the more adventurous ways to explore the area is by paddling the (slightly intimidating sounding) Broken Skull River.